MIAMI — As the first quarter of the Detroit Pistons' game last week in Orlando came and went, Pistons assistant coach Otis Smith sat on the bench in confusion, wondering why the team's newly-appointed starting point guard, Ish Smith, was trying to mimic the man he replaced.

It was Smith's first start of the season — usual starter Reggie Jackson had suffered a Grade 3 ankle sprain in the third quarter of the game prior — and he spent the first eight minutes of the night catering to his fellow cast, completely abandoning his own skillset.

Smith is an attack-first guard. He's been that way his entire career. The 29-year-old's unmatched pace, coupled with his herky-jerky movement, allows his slender 6-foot, 175-pound frame to break down defenses and keep bigger defenders off balance as he knives his way to the basket. But on this night, Smith was tentative. Each possession up the court was eventually capped with a pass to someone...

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